Sheet leveling mechanism



g- 1934- c; 1.. TAYLOR 1,969,700

SHEET LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. is, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 INVEN TOR.

' i [la/ma: Tay/ar 3) 31 g, e-cag ATTORNEKi Au 7, 1934. Q L, TAYLOR 1,969,700

' SHEET LEVELING MECHANISM I Filed Jan. 15, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (Yam/we [J My/ar I ATTORNEY? Aug. 7, 1934. c. L. TAYLOR SHEET LEVELING MECI' IANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 R m m m Ciarancel. 72yiar M a ATTORNEYS Aug. 7, 1934. c. L. TAYLOR 1,969,700

SHEET LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q INVENTOR. & mmmxxxx f/armaA 2 /4 J9 '"k g 7 A TTORNEYS.

Agg. 7, 1934. c. L. TAYLOR 1,969,700

SHEET LEVELING MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 15, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

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Aug. 7, 1934. c. 1.. TAYLOR SHEET LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1930 v 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 z Eg g a Mr wziwn H? W Z Lvm r m M w? A TTORN 1934- c. 1.. TAYLOR 1,969,700

SHEET LEVELING MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 15, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 IN VEN TOR.

Clarence L 7Zz Zar BY 34% Mala v @4 1 ATTORNEYS Aug. 7, 1934. c. L. TAYLOR 1,969,700

SHEET LEVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15', 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 I IIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR. f/arzruv My 70/" ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 7, 1934 umrsosmrss EPA-TENT OFFKIE This invention relating as indicated to sheet leveling mechanism, has specific reference'to the leveling mechanism of the type in which alterv nately spaced rolls are carried by spaced hous ings which are divided *into upper and lower sections so that vertical adjustmentof the rolls carried by the respective upper and lower housings may be effected to cause a bending of the sheet material passing through the leveler in i101 accordance with the amount of bending required to effect a proper leveling of the sheets.

In the construction of leveling mechanism, in order for the upper and lower tiers or banks of rolls to be brought closely enough together, con- I siderable difiiculty has been experienced'in providing a driving means for the several rolls. Heretofore leveling mechanisms have been constructed with the several" rolls thereof driven by a corresponding number of shafts having 205 flexible couplings intercomlectedtherewith, the

flexible couplings being employed to make possible the proper driving connection to the ter-.

minal portions of such drive shafts; A leveler constructed with a'plurality of drive shafts, as indicated, is undesirable from the standpoint of simplicity of construction as well as the longevity of the various; operative parts. It is an object-of my invention to provide a sheet leveling mechanism in which a single flexible 1 drive shaft need only be employed to effect the proper driving of the leveling rolls.

. The common form in which leveling mechanisms have been constructed, that is, the particular construction of the. housings in which 35.the necks of the respective rolls are journalled has been such that, upon failure of any single roll-or its associated operating mechanism, the entire housing has had to b'ebodily moved to one side or another in order toremove thelbroken -roll from the mechanism. This type of construction is undesirable from the standpoint of the amount of time and expense required in making the necessary repairs when any. part of the mechanism becomes inoperative. Itis' an object of my invention to'provide a sheet leveling mechanism in which a broken roll or its'associated supporting means can be bodily-removed from the mechanism without disturbing: the housings or any other associated parts.

'When-the sheet metal is passed throughthe leveling mechanism, it is desirable to bend the sheets a considerably. greater amount at the re,-.

and free from objectionable kinks or waves. In bending the sheets a greater amount by the rollers adjacent the receiving end of the leveler than at the delivery end thereof, the major p01'- 69 tion of the work performed by the leveling mechanism is carried on adjacent the receiving end. It is a further object of my invention to provide a sheet leveling mechanism in which the work performed on either side of the main driving means is relatively the same.

Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various me- 7 chanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the leveling mechanism comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is anend elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the plane substantially indicated by the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is an end View of the right side of the mechanism as illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinally vertical section view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 44; Fig. 5 is a left hand end view of the driving mechanism; Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical section views taken through the housings as illustrated in Fig. 1- on planes respectively designated by lines 6-6 and '7-7; Fig. 8 is a broken fragmentary transverse section view of the upper housings showing the rolls and driving pinions mounted therein; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transtransverse section View of the lower housings showing -the rolls and the driving pinions mounted therein; Fig. 10 is. a fragmentary transverse section view of the upper housing adjacent the driving end of the rolls showing the flexible coupling mounted on the drive shaft of the driving pinion Fig. 11 is a fragmentary transverse section View of the lower housing adjacent the driving end of the rolls showing the driving coupling mounted on the shaft carrying the driving pinion; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary part section, part elevation of one of the'housings showing the means for securing the bearing cups therein Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view of the rolls showmechanism comprising my invention consists of the bed late 1 which has supporting legs 2 and 3 suitably cross-braced by-sillssuch as 4 and 5. The bed plate 1 has oppositelyhdisposed lower housings 6 and '7 rigidly positioned thereon, which housings have in overlying relation' thereto, the upper housings 8 and 9 respectively.

The form of the housings '7 and 9 is most clearly shown in Fig. 6. The housings 7 and 9 have their contiguous faces 10 and 11 respectively formed the manner illustrated in this figure to accommodate the rolls which will be hereinafter more iully described so that such rolls may occupy a staggered and somewhat overlying re lationship to each other. The form of the housings 5 and 8 is most clearly shown in Fig. '7 in which the contiguous faces 12 and 13 thereof are formed similarly to the faces 10 and 11 of the housing 7 and 9 and for the same reason.

The rolls 14 carried by the lower housings are so arranged as to lie midway between the rolls 15 carried by theupper housings. The manner in which the various rolls are mounted in their respective housings will now be fully explained.

The rolls 14 which are revolubly mounted in the lower housings 6 and 7 have their terminal portions formed into journals 16 and 1'7 on which are respectively mounted the oppositely disposed bearings 18 and 19. The reduced-portion 16 of the roll 14 on which is mounted the bearing 18 has coaxially mounted thereon an annular. member 20 which has circumferential grooves or serrations 21 formed therein which grooves may secure suitable packing means for retaining the lubricant in the bearing cup and prevent the same from flowing onto the face of the roll 14. The terminal portion 16 of the roll 14 has rigidly secured thereto, gears 22 by means of the key 23 and the bolts 24. The bolts 24 which pass through the retaining disc-like member 25 axially secure the gear 22 to the journal 16.

' Positioned intermediately of thedisc 25 and the terminal portion 26 of the journal 16 are shim means by which the axial movement of the gear 22 relative to the journal 16 may be controlled when the bolts 24 are tightened down. By varying the thickness of the shims 26, axial ads justment of the bearings 18 may be attained either during the initial assembly of the parts or to compensate for wear after the mechanism has been operated for some time. Access to the retaining screws 2411s provided through an aperture 27 which is normally closed by a screw plug 28. a

Positioned within the housing and intermediately of the roll-supporting mechanism just described are a plurality of .pinions'29 which provide driving communication betweenthe sev-' eral rolls mounted in the lower housings 6 and 7. The pinions 29 are mounted on shafts '39 which are terminally revolubly supported by bearings 31 and 3-2. The bearing 32 is axially restrained in the aperture 33 provided therefor inthe housing fiby' a cup-like member 34.

The bearing 31 is removably axially secured by means of the cap 35 which is secured to the housing by the bolt'36.

The reduced ends 17 of the rolls 14 to which are secured the bearings 19 have secured thereto the retaining plate 37 by means of the bolts 38, which retaining plate axially secures the bearings 19 on the journal 17. Shim means 39 are interposed between the disc-like securing plate 37 and the terminal portion of the journal 17 so'that axial adjustment of the bearings may be attained during initial asesmbly thereof or to compensate for wear. The journal 17 has an. annular member 40 slidably'mounted thereon which has annular serrations 41 serving as grease or lubricant-retaining means to prevent the same from passing on to the face of the rolls 14.

The bearings 19 are mounted in substantially cylindrical cup-like elements 42 which are of a diameter larger than the diameter of the rolls 14 so that upon axial retraction of the cups 42 from the housing '7, the rolls 14 may likewise be axially retracted through the apertures in the housing 7 normally filled by the bearing cups 42. The bearing cups 42 are secured in the housings in the manner most clearly illustrated in Fig. 12 in which the outer periphcry of the cups have segmental grooves 43 formed'therein and adapted to secure the bolts 44. The bolts 44 are secured in the housing by means of the enlarged head 45 and the nut 46. It will be seen that by removing two adjacent bolts. such as 44 the bearing cup 42 may be retracted from the housing and the entire roll with its support and driving mechanism may be retracted through the aperture in the housing normally filled by the bearing cup 42. The bearing cup 42 is terminally closed by the cuplike member 47 which is removably secured thereto by means of the bolt 48.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 11, driving communication for the bottom rolls 14 is provided by having one of the shafts which supports one of the pinions 29 formed similar to the shaft 49 as illustrated in this figure, which has an extending terminal portion 50 to which is rigidly secured a driving coupling 51 adapted to receive the drive shaft as hereinafter. to be explained. The shaft 49' is terminally revolubly supported by the bearings 52 and intermediately of the pinion 29 and the retaining member 53 is revolubly supported by the bearing 54. The retaining memberv 53 is removably secured to the housing 6 by the bolts 55 and has an annular member 56 secured therein mounted c0- axially with the shaft 50 which serves as a grease-retaining medium for the lubricant contained within the space occupied by the bearings and pinions. In connection with the construction of the supporting means for the terminal portion of the upper roll adjacent the driving shaft, it will be noted that this construction is identical with that illustrated and described in connection with Fig. 9.

In. connection with the construction of the supporting means for the upper tier of rolls 15 which are terminally revolubly supported in the housings 8 and 9; it will be noted that the construction of the supporting means is substantially identical with that described in connectionwithFig. 9 for the lower rolls 14 so like ordinals will be employed to designate like parts and no further description thereof given.

The construction of the driving mechanism for the upper tier of rolls 15, as illustrated in Fig. 10, is substantially identical with that shown and described in connection with Fig. 11 for the lower tier of rolls 14. Like ordinals will therefore be employed to designate like parts insofar as the construction is the same; The drive shaft 50 hashere shown, however, 'se-. cured thereto, a flexible coupling .57 to which is secured the drive shaft for this.tier.of rolls as will be hereinafter explained. 1 As most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4,":the bed plate Lhas longitudinally. projecting therefrom at one end, .the supporting frame 60 which serves as a supporting "means. for the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism consists of a motor 62 which is in'driving communication with the gear wheel 63 through apinion (not shown) 'mounte'd'on the shaft 64. The gear 63 is contained in an oil-tight housing 65 which also serves as a support for the shafts on which the gears enclosed therein are mounted. The gear 63 is rigidly secured to thershaft 66. by means of the key 6'7. The shaft 66 is termi-. nally supported at 68 by the bearings .69 which are axially secured in the wall of the housing 65 by means of the :cup-like member 70. Rigidly secured to the shaft 66 isa pinion '71 which is relatively smaller than the pinion. 63 and which meshes with a' pinion. 72 rigidly mounted on the shaft '73. The shaft '73 has connected therewith a shaft '74 by means ofa flangedcoupling 75. A similar flanged coupling'is employed at the other end of the shaft '74 and is connected to and forms a part of the flanged coupling 51 hereinbefore described as secured tov the shaft 50. The shaft .66 has terminally mounted thereon a flexible coupling 76 which couplingis terminally secured to a connecting shaft 7'7. The connecting shaft '77 has at its other end a flexible coupling 78, which has been heretofore described as the flexible coupling 57 secured to the shaft 50'. The'purpose of the flexible coup-. lings as used in connection with this shaft is to provide a. flexible driving means for the upper tier of rolls 15 as the upper housings 8 and 9 are vertically adjusted to accommodate various forms of sheet metal to be acted upon.

As most clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, vertical adjustment of the upper housings 8 and 9 may be effected by turning the wheels 80 and 81 which respectively control the vertical distance between the upper and lower housings at their receiving and discharging ends. The rotation of the wheels 80 and 81, which effects a like rotation of shafts 82, likewise rotates the worms 83 and 84 which, through a mechanism not shown, regulate the axial vertical traveling of the rods 85 and 86. The rods 85 and 86 carry cross-pins 8'7 which rest on the upper surface of 'the housings 8 and 9 and limit the upward movement of these housings as the sheet metal passes between the rolls.

As hereinbefore explained, it is advisable, in order to effect a proper breaking down of the sheets and still produce a finished sheet free from corrugations or waves, that the upper and lower rolls at the receiving end of the mechanism be positioned in a greater overlying relationship than the rolls at the discharge end. When the rolls are so positioned, the major portion of the work will be performed by the rolls adjacent the receiving end of the mechanism as is clearly shown by the central angles indicated on the roll shown in Fig. 13, which Icentral angles designate the are on the rolls with which the sheets are in contact. I have so positioned the drive shafts for the upper and lower rolls so that the driving means is nearer the receiving end of the leveler than the discharge end thereof. By so positioning the drive shafts theamountof workiperformed by the rolls on either side thereof is practically the same so. that an even distribution of the stresses in the mechanism. is accomplished resulting in a:smoother1 operationlof the machine as'well as a. lengthening ofthe life of the various driving pinions. It may bedesirable in the construction of a leveler having a number of rolls in excess of the number shown here for the-purpose of illustration, to employ 'more than onedriving shaft for each set of rolls. In case more than one driving shaft is employed for each set of rolls, these driving shafts will be connected to pinions which are'so spaced as to give even distribution of the driving load on either side thereof in the manner'just explained. When more than one driving shaft is used in connection, with each set of rolls, it may be desirable to omit one or more. of the idler pinions, which omission will divide the rolls in each set into as many separate groups as there are driving shafts. x I

.In connection with this description, it will be. noted that I have used ordinals bearing prime marks to describe similar constructions throughout the mechanism in order to materially simplify this description as well as to lead to a better understanding of the entire mechanism. On the several views such as the end views showing the mechanism, I have diagrammatically shown a number of the parts which bear ordinals descriptive :of the main member so shown.

It is believed that a more detailed description of the mechanism comprising my invention is not necessary for those familiar with the particular art,'sufiice it to say that the specific structure illustrated. may be departed from in a number of instances without in any way affecting the principles embodied in my invention.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:-

1. In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spaced standards, of rolls supported therein, reduced portions on said rolls, bearings supporting said reduced portions of said rolls, means enclosed in one of said standards establishing driving communication between said rolls, and means removably associated with the other of said standards adapted to revolubly support said rolls and to permit axial retraction thereof through said last-named housing.

2. In a sheet leveling machanism, the combination with spaced housings, of a plurality of contiguous rolls, bearings mounted in apertures in said housings for revolubly supporting said rolls, the diameter of the bearing receiving aperture in one of said housings greater than the diameter of said rolls, gears terminally mounted on said rolls, and idler gears mounted in one of said housings establishing driving communication between said rolls.

3. In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spacer paired complementary upper and lower housings, of a plurality of contiguous rolls alternately mounted in said upper and lower housings, bearings mounted in apertures in said housings for revolubly supporting said rolls, the diameter of the bearing receiving apertures in one pair of said housings greater'than the diameter of said rolls, gears terminally mounted on said rolls, a series of gears mounted in one pair of said upper and lower housings and'posi tioned intermediately said'first namedgears, and meshing therewith, and means for driving one of said intermediately positionedvgears in each series.

4. In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spaced housings, of a plurality of contiguous rolls; bearings mounted in apertures in said housings for. terminally revolubly supporting said rolls, the diameter of. said apertures in one pair of said housings greater than the diameter of said rolls; a plurality of shafts terminally revolubly supported in one of said housings intermediately said' rolls; gears terminally mounted on said rolls; gears mounted on said shafts meshing with said first named gears; and means for driving one of. said shafts.

5. In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spaced housings; of a pluralityof contiguous rolls mounted therein; bearings mounted in apertures in said housings for terminally revolubly supporting said rolls, the diameterof said apertures in one of said housings nation with spaced paired upper and lower housings; a plurality of contiguous alternately spaced rolls respectively mounted in said upper and lower housings; gears mounted on'one endof said rolls; a plurality of shafts revolubly mount-' ed in one pair of said housings adjacent to and intermediately. of .said rolls; gears mounted on said shafts-adapted to meshxwith said gears on said rolls; andmeans for driving allof the upperirolls through one of said intermediately positioned gears, said driving gear being'positioned nearer the receiving end of said mechanismthan' the discharge end thereof.

7., In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spaced paired complementary upper and lower housings, of a plurality of contiguous rolls alternately mounted in said upper and lower housings, bearings mounted in apertures in said housings for revolubly supporting said rolls,.a plurality of shafts supported in one pair of said housings adjacent said rolls, gears on said rolls, gears on said shafts meshing with said. gears on said rolls, and means for driving all of the upper rolls through one of said. gears on said shafts, said driving gear being nearer the receiving end of said leveling mechanism than the discharge end thereof whereby the load transmitted therefrom to the rolls on either side will be. substantially equal.

8. In a sheet leveling mechanism, the combination with spaced paired upper and lower housings; a plurality of contiguous alternately spaced rolls respectively mounted in said upper and lower housings; gears mounted on one end of said rolls; a plurality of shafts revolubly mounted in one pair of said housings adjacent to an intermediately of said rolls; gears mounted on said shafts adapted to mesh with said gears on said rolls; a driving shaft rigidly secured to one of said intermediately positioned gears in one of said lower housings, and a drive shaft flexibly connected to one of said intermediately'positioned gears in one of said upper housings.

CLARENCE L. TAYLOR. 

